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Auctionata was a Berlin, Germany-based technology company that operated an online auction house specializing in live-streamed video auctions for art, antiques, and luxury collectibles. The platform enabled global users to participate in real-time bidding rooms hosted by professional auctioneers for high-value items like classic cars, watches, and fine wine. Before ceasing operations in 2017, the enterprise scaled to over 300 employees, reported €35.7 million in preliminary net sales in 2015, and raised approximately $95 million in total venture funding. The company secured financial backing from prominent investors including Earlybird Venture Capital, Hearst Ventures, and Groupe Arnault. Following the establishment of its classic cars division by Michael Gross, the firm merged with rival platform Paddle8 in 2016 before ultimately filing for insolvency. Auctionata was founded in 2012 by Alexander Zacke, Susanne Zacke, and Georg Untersalmberger.
Auctionata has raised $97.5M across 4 funding rounds.
Auctionata has raised $97.5M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Auctionata has raised $97.5M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Auctionata's investors include Sylwester Janik, Comcast Ventures, Energy Capital Ventures, Flybridge, Greylock, Hearst Media fund, HV Capital, IVP, Matrix, Tony Florence, Trinity Ventures, Bright Capital.
Auctionata has raised $97.5M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $45.0M Series C in March 2015.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2015 | $45M Series C | Sylwester Janik | Comcast Ventures, Energy Capital Ventures, Flybridge, Greylock, Hearst Media Fund, HV Capital, IVP, Matrix, Tony Florence, Trinity Ventures, Bright Capital, Christian Nagel, Headline, Hearst Ventures, Kite Ventures, Kreos Capital, Raffay Group, REN Invest, TA Ventures, Yuan Capital | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2014 | $30M Series B | — | Energy Capital Ventures, Greylock, HV Capital, IVP, Matrix, Tony Florence, Trinity Ventures, Earlybird, Headline | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2013 | $20M Series A | — | Energy Capital Ventures, Greylock, HV Capital, IVP, Matrix, Tony Florence, Trinity Ventures, Bright Capital, Christian Nagel, Eventure Capital Partners, Kite Ventures, Raffay Group | Announced |
| Dec 3, 2012 | $2.5M Venture Round | Bright Capital | — | Announced |
Auctionata was a Berlin-based online auction house that digitized the traditional auction experience for high-value items like fine art, antiques, luxury goods, jewelry, and classic cars.[1][2][3] It built a technology platform enabling real-time global participation through livestream auctions, online shops, and expert-curated valuations, serving collectors, sellers, and buyers worldwide while solving the problem of geographic barriers and high costs in physical auctions.[1][2][3] The company achieved rapid growth, peaking at $150 million in revenue by 2015 and raising $97.44 million, but filed for bankruptcy around 2017 with its assets later sold.[2][5]
Auctionata was founded in 2012 by Alexander Zacke, Susanne Zacke, and Georg Untersalmberger, with initial investment from Holtzbrinck Publishing Group and Otto GmbH.[1][3] Zacke and Untersalmberger, leveraging their expertise, developed proprietary technology for delay-free live streaming auctions using real-time operating systems to rival giants like Christie's and Sotheby's.[1][3] The online shop launched in September 2012, followed by the first auction in December; by 2013, it expanded with weekly livestreams from a Berlin TV studio, quickly gaining traction through curated sales and a network of 250 global art experts paid per minute via PayPal.[1][3][6]
Auctionata rode the early 2010s wave of e-commerce disruption in luxury markets, digitizing auctions to democratize access to high-end collectibles amid rising internet speeds and mobile adoption.[1][2][4] Its timing capitalized on fragmented competitors lacking global scale or tech sophistication, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering scalable livestream tech that competitors like Invaluable later emulated.[2][3] Market forces like demand for authenticated luxury online favored it initially, but operational challenges highlighted risks in blending physical expertise with digital scalability.[5]
Auctionata's innovative tech stack and growth to $150M revenue demonstrated the viability of online luxury auctions, but bankruptcy from poor communication, authenticity issues, and irresponsibility toward unhappy customers underscored execution pitfalls.[5] Post-asset sale, its patented bidding system and model likely influenced survivors like Invaluable, shaping a more mature livestream auction sector integrated with AI-driven valuations today.[1][2] While defunct, Auctionata's legacy warns of curation's importance in high-trust e-commerce, potentially revived through acquirers in a booming digital collectibles market.
